Cannabis Users Face Four Times Higher Diabetes Risk, Reveals Major Study
If you’re one of the millions turning to cannabis for relaxation or relief, a new study might make you think twice about its health impacts. Researchers have found that people who use cannabis could be nearly four times more likely to develop diabetes compared to non-users. This eye-opening discovery comes from a massive analysis of over four million adults, highlighting potential long-term risks as cannabis use surges worldwide.
Cannabis is everywhere these days, with about 219 million users globally in 2021—that’s roughly 4.3% of all adults. While some early research hinted at benefits like reducing inflammation or helping with weight control, others flagged worries about how it affects blood sugar and insulin. Until now, no one knew just how big the diabetes risk really was.
In this study, presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) annual meeting in Vienna, Austria, scientists dug into health records from 54 organizations across the US and Europe. They zeroed in on 96,795 outpatients aged 18 to 50—about 52.5% women—who had cannabis-related issues, from casual use to full dependence, including intoxication or withdrawal. These cases spanned 2010 to 2018.
To keep things fair, the team matched these users with a huge control group of 4,160,998 healthy folks of similar age, sex, and health status, with no history of substance use or major chronic illnesses. Over the next five years, they tracked everyone for signs of new diabetes diagnoses.
The results? Shocking. Only 0.6% of the non-users developed diabetes, but that number jumped to 2.2% among cannabis users. Crunching the stats showed users faced almost four times the risk. "As cannabis gets more accepted and legal in many places, we must spotlight these health risks," said lead author Dr. Ibrahim Kamel from Boston Medical Center in the US.
Dr. Kamel also pointed out the bigger picture: "This real-world data pushes us to weave diabetes risk chats into addiction treatment and routine doctor visits. Healthcare pros should ask about cannabis use to help patients gauge their overall risk and maybe start metabolic checks early."
The study calls for more digging into cannabis’s effects on hormones and metabolism over time. Does the danger stick to smoked weed, or does it apply to edibles and other forms too? Right now, we don’t have all the answers, but these findings could shake up how doctors monitor patients and shape public health campaigns on cannabis safety and diabetes prevention.
As legalization spreads, staying informed about cannabis health risks like diabetes is key—especially if you’re a regular user. Keep an eye on updates from trusted sources as research evolves.
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